16 – Core 3 – Necessary Confrontation

A Gandhi Vow

The British Army had brute force, powerful weapons and the law. Gandhi had truth.

The British were defeated. Truth prevailed.

Segregationists had brute force, powerful weapons and the law. King had truth.

Segregationists were defeated. King’s truth prevailed.

M. K. Gandhi titled his autobiography, My Experiment with Truth. He asked his followers to make this simple vow: “I promise to seek truth and confront untruth wherever I find it.” For Gandhi, truth is source of power at the heart of nonviolent resistance. Once again Gandhi quotes Jesus: “You shall know the truth and the truth will make you free, (John 8:32).”

Some truth can be proven by science or logic. Other truths cannot be proven by logic or science. Instead they are writ large across the face of the universe. Thomas Jefferson said it this way, “We hold these truths to be self-evident…”

Gandhi’s truth was self-evident. A poor, outcast Indian child is created equal to a British child and though not born into wealth and privilege she, too, is endowed by her Creator with certain unalienable Rights. King’s truth was equally self-evident. A poor, outcast Negro child is created equal to a white child and though not born into wealth and privilege he, too, is endowed by his creator with certain unalienable Rights. This truth, too, is self-evident poor Trans child is created equal to an Indian, a Negro, or a white child and though perceived as an outcast she too is endowed by her Creator with certain unalienable rights.

“Unalienable rights” are rights that cannot be taken away or transferred to another. Those Creator-given rights are as basic to our humanity as are blood, bones and breath and that truth is more powerful than laws that discriminate or the powers that enforce them. Let truth prevail!

Are you sure your enemy is lying?

Are you sure you have the truth?

What have you done to research the lies of your enemy?

What have you done to research you own truths to be certain they are trustworthy?